In a rare move, the executive committee of Japanese promotion
Pancrase has
overturned the result of a bout from the organization’s March
11 “Progress Tour” event.

Pancrase officials Wednesday announced that Seiya
Kawahara’s first-round knockout of Yuta
Numakura has been ruled a no-contest upon review due to
unsportsmanlike conduct after the bell.

Kawahara, a product of the Pancrase-affiliated Team Fight Suns,
dropped Numakura with a right hook late in the opening frame of
their bantamweight matchup at Differ Ariake in Tokyo. Numakura
scrambled back to his feet, only to be felled by another right
hand. This time, Kawahara stood over his downed opponent and
knocked him cold with a pair of soccer kicks to the head -- a legal
maneuver under the rules of Pancrase.

The foul occurred after referee Yoshinori
Umeki dove in to separate the fighters. Kawahara attempted to
move past the veteran official in order to continue punching his
unconscious opponent. Umeki managed to push Kawahara away, though
not before Kawahara connected with a punch to the back of
Numakura’s head. Kawahara continued flailing until he was
restrained by a forearm choke from his cornerman, Ryo
Kawamura, who also serves as Pancrase’s executive
president.

In addition to the no-contest ruling, Pancrase has demanded that
Kawahara forfeit his full fight purse from the bout and has removed
him from the company’s internal rankings. The 24-year-old Yokohama
native has also been suspended from competition until May 1.